One of the largest contributors of waste on the dairy is the manure produced from the cows.

On a daily basis, the waste produced by the cows is flushed out, usually during the evening feeding. The waste is flushed down specially designed lanes into the manure separator (click here for a picture). To help make sure all the waste materials end up in the manure seperator, the dairy was constructed with sloping sides and floors, all leading to the manure seperator. Once the waste enters the seperator, it is seperated into a liquid or a solid material.

The liquid material is sent through underground pipes to a large holding pond located at the end of the dairy. The milk of sick or unhealthy cows is also flushed trough these pipes into the holding pond. The liquid held in the pond is later used either for irrigation of empty fields or is pumped to a holding tank located at the top of the dairy. This tank holds the liquid that is later used in the daily flush of the lanes.

The solid material is transported to a holding spot located behind the Cal Poly Organic Farm. The material is later used as compost throughout the campus.

Also, once a year the corrals are scraped and the material goes through the same process as listed above.

• Hazardous Materials
• Cleaning the Facilities
• Waste Management
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Information courtesy of Joseph Dilsaver, Cal Poly Dairy Assistant